Boat



.Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALBERT HICKMAN, OF WEST MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT.

BOAT.

Application filed January 10, 1923. Serial No. 611,889.

This invention pertains to improvements in boats. It is among the objects of the invention to provide an etficient boat of the gliding or semi-gliding type.

In the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of one form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a plan of a boat, being partly in horizonal'section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, being partly in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing the operation of a preferred form of how rudder when turning to port; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the boat shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings and to the preferred form of my invention selected for illustrative purposes, I have herein shown, its embodiment in a boat of the inverted V- bottom t pe generally like that shownlin my United gtates Letters Patent 1,204,355,7issued Nov. 7, 1916. The boat may have, as seen in Fig. 2, substantially straight sides and a bottom in the form of an inverted V. The inverted V formed by the bottom gradually broadens aft and, as described in said patent, may merge into a substantially straight transom stern. The gradual broadening of the V is indicated in Fig. 4 by the dotted line representing the locus of the a ices of the inverted V sections. The boat i ustrated is provided with bow steering means typified by the side late rudders 5 and 6 pivoted to the sides 0 the boat on inclined pintles 7 which provide for the lower ing of the rudders when swung away from the side of the boat and for elevation thereof when swung toward the side of the boat.

The preferred form of bow rudders illustrated are adapted to be actuated one at a time. Thus, when it is desired to turn the how 8 of the boat to port, as viewedin Fig. 1, the rudder 5 will be forced outwardly by an ap ropriate push rod herein shown as an end oi a suitable rack 9 actuated by a pinion 10, which may be secured to a steering post 10 of the boat. The rudders 5 and 6 for certain classes of boat are preferably only utilized at high speeds, being controlled by a steering post 10 independent of the steering post 10", and, to control the direction of 'movement of the boat at low speeds, I pro- 'vide stern rudder means herein shown as twin rudders 11 and 12 located at each side of and in close adjacency to the ti s of'a single surface propeller 13. t The In ders 11 retarding action thereof incidental to steer- ,they perform a useful function in neutralizing the tendency of the single surface pro peller 13 to move the stern of the boat sidewise by paddling action with a resultant tendeny to steer the bow of the boat in the opposite direction. This neutralizing action arises from causes fully described in my co- ,pending application Serial No. 611,885 filed herewith.

In the preferred form of my invention herein illustrated, I haveshown counteracting means for correcting any tendency of the boat to be steered by the single surface propeller, such counteracting means taking the form of a planing surface so located that the ing action will be utilized to lift the weight of a portion of the boat so that the correcting power is not lost,-but serves a useful function.

Assuming the propeller 13 to turn in clockwise directlon, as viewed from the stern, its tendency will be to move the stern of the boat to starboard and therefore to turn the bow of the boat toward port. The counteracting steering plane is herein shown as a plate 30 located on the starboard side of the boat and having suiiicient depression to exert sufiicient steering action to overcome the tendency of the propeller to steer the boat to port: To counteract the lifting action ofthe plane 30 and keep the boat on an even keel when at speed, I preferably locate the oil tank, storage batteries, and other supplemental equipment of the boat on that side thereof where the plane 30 is located. This planing surface, therefore, supplements the other plan: ing surfaces of the boat and the dragging effect thereof incidental to steering action is utilized to take the place of power which would in any case be required to keep the boat in planing the planing sur ace 30, instead of being a separate plate, may be formedintegral with the bottom of the boat "and that the same eifect may be attained by distributing at that side of the boat where the correction is to be effected, surfaces providing greater angles of incidence than at the opposite side of the cat.

The arrangement of rudders at the sides of the boat adjacent the bow as described is of particular utility in connection with a position. It is obvious that hull of the inverted V-bottom type as it permits a full utilization, not possible with the ordinary stern rudders, of the effect on a turn of the varying water line at the sides of the inverted V-bottom. Thus, for instance, if the starboard rudder is swung outboard, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the star= board side of the boat is immediately raised and the port side depressed and an increasing water line is provided at the port side of the inverted V on the inside of the turn and a decreasing water line on the opposite side. The canting of the hull is effected directl at the bow of the boat and the boat turns, following around the curve of the increasing water line with minimum tendency of the stern to skid and of the whole boat to fall off to starboard, as contrasted with a steering-action eflected by a rudder aft. This arrangement of rudders producing thiselfect is particularly ad'vanta eous when utilized in connection with ru ders such as 11 and 12 hung behind the stern transom of the boat to compensate for the paddling action of the single surface propeller 13 in the manner more fully described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 611,885.

While I have shown and described a boat containing several novel features which are particularly useful in connection with each other, it is obvious thatseveral of such features may be useful independently of each other and that. considerable changes may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, which is best defined in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A boat having a hull presenting inverted V-bottom sections broadening aft and rudders pivoted to the sides of the bow and adapted to swing outboard from the sides of the boat.

2. A boat having a hull presenting inverfed V-bottom sections broadening aft and rudders pivoted to the sides of the bow on axes, the upper ends of which are nearer the bow than the lower ends, said rubbers adapted to swing outboard.

3. A boat presenting two bow rudders, one secured to each side of the hull of the boat, said bow rudders hingedly mounted on oblique pivots providing forilowering of the blades of the rudders relative to the water as they are swung away from the adjacent sides of the boat.

4.v A boat having a rigid hull and proprovided at either side thereof with a rudder hung well forward but abaft of the extreme bow of the hull on pivots of which the upper ends are nearer the bow of the boat than the lower ends, said rudders being adapted to swing outboard from the Sides of the boat.

5. A boat having a hull presenting inverted V-boltom sections broadening aft, a single surface propeller for propelling the boat, counteracting surfaces aft of the stern transom of the boat laterally adjacent the propeller and subject to the wash thereof to counteract the paddling action thereof and rudders pivoted to the sides of the bow and adapted to swing outboard from the sides of the boat.

6. A boat of the planing or semi-planin type having a single surface propeller and presenting on its bottom unbalanced planing surfaces to counteract the steering tendency of the single surface propeller.

7. A boat of the planing or semi-planing type comprising, in combination, a hull, a single surface propeller and a bottom surface presenting a greater angle of incidence at that side thereof where the blades of said surface propeller enter the water than on the opposite side thereof.

8. A boat comprising, in combination, a hull, a single surface propeller, and a bottom presenting an unbalanced planing surface to counteract the steering tendency of said single surface propeller;

9. A boat comprising, in combination, a hull, a single surface propeller, and a bottom presenting an unbalanced planing surface to counteract the steering tendenc of said single surface propeller, the loa in said hull distributed to maintain an even keel when at speed by counteracting the lift- :ifng tendency of the unbalanced planing surace.

10. A boat of the inverted V-bottom type having a single surface propeller and having a hull presenting a combined steering and planing surface to counteract the steering action of said single surface propeller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM ALBERT HICKMAN. 

